SLAVERY

Slavery

Man’s Cruelty Against Man

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

First let me say this. PLEASE DON’T MISUNDERSTAND what I’m about to say.

I am NOT trying to pick on anyone. My goal is NOT to belittle anyone – just to educate some who may not be aware of this part of America’s history.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

That said, I’ll continue.

There were way too many people that were slaves of white men.

Ah! I have your attention, now.

So, you might be thinking, “Here, we go! Another story of black slavery in America!”

You are so wrong.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Slavery was abolished December 6, 1865. As of today, October 4, 2023, that was 158 years ago.

In that span of 158 years, there have been many people of color, men AND women who have made their mark in society. Many of these fine people have become doctors, lawyers, educators, statesmen, actors, and yes, even one of the greatest presidents of the United States of America.

All that said, what annoys me is that the story doesn’t begin or end there.

I applaud all those wonderful men and women who have made their mark in history – and that goes for the white man, as well.

Whoa!! White man? Did I really just say that?

Yeah, I did.

What many people don’t realize is that slavery wasn’t just about the people of color. There were slave OWNERS who were black and from what history tells us, they were more vicious towards their slaves than the white man. (Yet that’s another story.)

What I’m about to tell you might make you sit and scratch your head. Go ahead. Scratch all you want. Do your own research. After all, I WANT you to do your research and then, you’ll understand the truth about slaves.

The IRISH in colonial America were considered to be lower than low. These “lowlife” Irish were called (AND I KID YOU NOT ……) “niggers turned inside out”. Go ahead. Look it up. I did.

When negro slavery was established in colonial America, it was already dominated by “white slaves”. Yeah, it was.

The Irish slaves trade began in the year 1625, The trade began when James II decided to sell some 30,000 Irish prisoners to be used as slaves. What (maybe I should day who?) he couldn’t sell, he bartered for whatever he felt he either needed or wanted. He sold these “humans” to the New World (America). James II had the idea that this would not just fill his pockets but would also empty his prisons. He was to send them to the English settlers in the West Indies.

During the 1650s, over 100,000 Irish children between the ages of ten and fourteen were taken forcibly from their parents and sold as slaves in the West Indies, Virginia, and New England. Another 52,000 were sold to the highest bidder, whomever and wherever that person may be.

African slaves were very expensive, had to be transported long distances, and be paid for not only in Africa but in the New World. Irish slaves, on the other hand, were cheap and most often either kidnapped from Ireland, prisoners, or were forcibly removed. They could be worked to death, whipped, or branded without it being a crime. Many, MANY times, they were beaten to death, and while the death of an Irish slave was a monetary setback, it was far cheaper that the death of an expensive African. Therefore, African slaves were treated much better in colonial America.

There were many times white people were brought to America as slaves than there were black people.

The importation of Irish slaves continued well into the 18th century, long after the importation of the African slaves. That became the norm for slavery in America. Records state that after the 1798 Irish rebellion, thousands of Irish slaves were sold to both America and Australia.

Irish slavery did not end until Britain decided to end slavery in the year 1839. White slaves were owned by Negroes and Indians to such an extend in the South that the Virginia assembly finally passed a law against the practice.

*White Christians were sold on the auction block, in chains!

*White Christians had their teeth checked and their muscles probed as if they were cattle or horses.

*White Christians were stripped naked for all the world to see.

*White Christian families were split apart.

And here you thought, these horrific acts only happened to people of color.

It has been estimated that in the colonial United States, up to the Revolutionary War, approximately 2/3 of all the whites that entered colonial America were slaves.

Some say that the blacks were slaves, and the whites were servants. Historical documents prove this to be false.

In the original documents of the white merchants who transported Negroes from Africa or the slave markets, the blacks were called servants. This proves that slavery was not racist.

Slavery was classist. Slavery was economic.

Elite whites and blacks would enslave whoever they could get – regardless of race!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There is so much that is a part of our American history that has been either forgotten, pushed aside, or ignored.

Either way, must continue to read and learn.

We must continue to teach, and we must never forget what happened when our country was new.

If we continue to ignore the basic facts of our own American heritage or try to ignore man’s inhumanity again our fellow man, we are prone to repeat our mistakes.

Let’s teach our future generations so they can be better than we were.